Dane Baptiste is raising the bar for articulate, socially-conscious stand-up, and pulls no intellectual punches in this conversation, which takes in chakras, Arthur Maslow's hierarchy of needs and transcendental perception... We talk about what it means to be the first black Briton to be nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award; why validation, gratification and dopamine aren't the end goal; and why he's a goofball.

Multiple Tony and Olivier Award-winner, and Emmy-nominee Tim Minchin went from gigging keyboardist, to Royal Albert Hall smash hit, to Dreamworks director. We explore the dynamic between Tim’s easy-going exterior and his internal driving force, learn his true feelings towards his own voice, and find out how he feels about death…

A provocative and genuine comic, Tiff pulls apart her subject matter like a terrier, mining huge laughs from political, topical and personal subjects. We talk about agency, process and sexism, and explore the creative opportunities afforded by her stewardship of London’s “Old Rope” new material night.

At the top of his game, stand-up Bill Burr is conquering the planet with an extraordinary creative ferocity. He delights in unsettling audiences by saying the un-sayable, before justifying his comic position with inspiring verve. We learn the tricks he uses to break out of routine onstage, explode the myth of finding one’s voice, and also have a really invigorating argument about privilege…

There’s dry, and then there’s Todd Barry. On his “Crowdwork” tour, Todd’s skill in low-energy one-liners allows him to spin unexpected angles into truly original audience interaction. We discuss writing habits, beating ideas to death onstage, and how it feels to play two different fictionalised versions of himself simultaneously…

Urbane, charming and totally in touch with what makes him funny, Joe Lycett is the figurehead for a new generation of British comics. We talk technique in detail, digging into “Pomodoro” and renting an office in which to work. We also cover Joe’s bisexuality, the nature of camp and what it means today, and the exact degree of truth involved in his absurdist catfishing of public institutions…